WACO, Texas – Fort Hays State moved up one spot in the latest edition of the AFCA Division II Poll, released on Monday (Oct. 23). The Tigers are now No. 7, benefitting from a loss by previously No. 7 ranked Grand Valley State this past Saturday. The top seven teams in the nation all remain undefeated.
The No. 7 ranking is just one step shy of the highest ranking the program has ever held in an official Division II football poll. FHSU was No. 6 in the poll produced by the NCAA Rankings Committee on September 16, 1996. The AFCA took over producing the official poll in 2000. The current ranking is the highest for the program since September 9, 1996, when the Tigers were also No. 7.
Fort Hays State defeated Missouri Western 38-10 this past Saturday to move to 8-0 for the first time in school history. In the MIAA standings, the Tigers kept pace with No. 1 ranked Northwest Missouri State, which ran its win streak to 38 games dating back to the start of 2015 with a 19-0 shutout of Lindenwood. Central Missouri (6-2) joins FHSU and Northwest Missouri in the top 25 this week after a win over Washburn. The Mules are No. 23 in the poll this week.
The first set of NCAA Regional Rankings are due to release Monday (Oct. 23). The top seven teams in Super Region 3 are selected to compete in the NCAA Division II Playoffs. There will be three releases of the regional rankings before the selections are made following the end of the regular season.
Below is the AFCA Division II Poll for October 23, 2017.
| Rank |
School (1st votes) |
Record |
Points |
Previous |
| 1. |
Northwest Missouri State (34) |
8-0 |
850 |
1 |
| 2. |
Shepherd (W.Va.) |
7-0 |
794 |
2 |
| 3. |
Minnesota State |
8-0 |
753 |
4 |
| 4. |
Indiana (Pa.) |
8-0 |
749 |
3 |
| 5. |
Midwestern State (Texas) |
6-0 |
697 |
5 |
| 6. |
Indianapolis (Ind.) |
8-0 |
687 |
6 |
| 7. |
Fort Hays State (Kan.) |
8-0 |
646 |
8 |
| 8. |
Central Washington |
8-0 |
571 |
9 |
| 9. |
Texas A&M-Commerce |
6-1 |
539 |
10 |
| 10. |
Winona State (Minn.) |
8-0 |
537 |
11 |
| 11. |
Ferris State (Mich.) |
6-1 |
503 |
12 |
| 12t. |
Ashland (Ohio) |
7-1 |
475 |
13 |
| 12t. |
Assumption (Mass.) |
7-0 |
475 |
14 |
| 14. |
Sioux Falls (S.D.) |
7-1 |
397 |
15 |
| 15. |
Colorado Mesa |
7-1 |
382 |
16 |
| 16. |
Wingate (N.C.) |
7-0 |
349 |
20 |
| 17. |
Virginia State |
7-0 |
303 |
21 |
| 18. |
Humboldt State (Calif.) |
6-1 |
250 |
22 |
| 19. |
Grand Valley State (Mich.) |
6-2 |
216 |
7 |
| 20. |
Bowie State (Md.) |
7-1 |
206 |
23 |
| 21. |
Eastern New Mexico |
6-1 |
168 |
24 |
| 22. |
Findlay (Ohio) |
7-1 |
115 |
NR |
| 23. |
Central Missouri |
6-2 |
83 |
NR |
| 24. |
Colorado State-Pueblo |
6-2 |
82 |
NR |
| 25. |
West Alabama |
6-2 |
70 |
18 |
Others Receiving Votes: West Georgia, 33; Slippery Rock (Pa.), 26; Delta St. (Miss.), 20; California (Pa.), 19; Washburn (Kan.), 18; Shippensburg (Pa.), 17; Arkansas Tech, 7; Ouachita Baptist (Ark.), 5; Azusa Pacific (Calif.), 3; Catawba (N.C.), 1; Minnesota-Duluth, 1; Notre Dame (Ohio), 1; Southern Arkansas, 1; West Florida, 1.
